Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Gregory C Lowney

Peter Kam-Ho Wong

Shawn J Cokus

Jeffrey B Reifman

Robert George Atkinson

Laura Janet Butler

Nathaniel S Brown

Charles Oppermann

A method and system for enabling a visually impaired user to use a touch-sensitive device. The present invention provides an interface for the visually impaired (IVI) system which enables a visually impaired user to use a touch-sensitive screen. The IVI system provides an explore mode in which a visually impaired user may determine which objects are on the touch-sensitive screen by dragging a finger over the touch-sensitive screen. In particular, the IVI system announces objects as a user touches them. For example, the IVI system announces text as it is touched and announces controls, such as buttons, as they are touched. In addition, the IVI system enables a user to execute controls. A user may execute a control, such as a button, by dragging a finger onto the control, and then, without dragging the finger off of the control, lifting the finger off of the touch-sensitive screen. The IVI system further enables a user to scroll through lists on a touch-sensitive screen. In particular, the IVI system enables a user to use a scroll thumb to scroll through a list. When a user drags a finger over the scroll thumb, and then, without dragging the finger off of the scroll thumb, lifts the finger off of the touch-sensitive screen, the IVI system enters scroll mode. In the scroll mode, a user may drag a finger anywhere on the touch-sensitive screen to scroll the list. While in scroll mode if a user again lifts their finger off of the touch-sensitive screen, the IVI system returns to explore mode.

Method and system for providing touch-sensitive screens for the visually impaired

An architecture is provided that enables an accessibility aid to directly access and manipulate user interface elements of an application program programmatically. Moreover, such access and manipulation occurs in an application-independent manner, so that an accessibility aid utilizing the architecture can access any application program that conforms to the architecture, without the accessibility aid needing any prior knowledge of the application program or its user interface elements. User interface elements typically have both a visual representation displayed on the video display and an implementation, which is the code and data implementing the user interface element. The architecture provides an accessibility aid with direct access to the implementation of user interface elements, thus enabling the accessibility aid to both examine various characteristics of the user interface element and manipulate these characteristics, which may affect its visual representation.

Programmatically providing direct access to user interface elements of an application program

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Gregory C Lowney